Dispenser box



p 1966 c. H. WATKINS 3,272,385

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United States Patent 3,272,385 DISPENSER BOX Cecil H. Watkins, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, asslgnor to Canadian International Paper Company, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a corporation of Canada Filed Apr. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 447,364 4 Claims. (Cl. 221-48) The present invention relates to dispenser boxes and more particularly to boxes for dispensing interfolded paper products such as facial tissues and the like.

Disposable facial tissues are in widespread use at the present time. Such tissues are usually sold in paperboard folding cartons or boxes containing several hundred tissues and having apertures or slots through which individual tissues can be withdrawn as desired.

The paperboard cartons or boxes heretofore available have not been wholly satisfactory, particularly with respect to withdrawing tissues located a substantial distance below the top opening and with respect to withdrawing at a single time and as a unit a group of tissues.

The principal object of the invention has been the provision of a novel and improved dispenser box for dispensing interfolded facial tissues and like interfolded paper products, e.g., napkins.

Another object of the invention has been the provision of such a box which affords easy and reliable pop-up dispensing of tissues one at a time, both when the box is full and when it is partially or even nearly completely emptied. By pop-up dispensing is meant that when one tissue is withdrawn from the dispensing opening, the next tissue is automatically partially withdrawn from the box through the opening so as to be readily accessible for withdrawal by the user.

Yet another object of the invention has been the provision of such a box which is adapted for the easy and convenient removal of a group of tissues as a unit.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description of the invention taken in connection with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sealed paperboard box embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the box of FIG. 1 with a perforated oval flap removed;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a tissue being withdrawn from the box opening shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the box of FIGS. 1-3 showing a valve flap torn from the top and front wall of the box and folded into the box so as to lie on top of the tissue stack;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the box of FIGS. 1-4 showing the valve flap withdrawn from the box to permit removal of a group of tissues as a unit;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, the reference numeral 10 denotes a rectangular box, preferably formed from a blank of paperboard or like material, and having a top wall 11, opposed end walls 12 and 13, opposed front and rear walls 14 and 15 and a bottom wall 16. The box 10 typically might be about 9%; inches long by 4 inches wide by 3% inches high to accommodate two hundred 2-ply 8 x 9 interfolded facial tissues. The foregoing and other dimensions set forth 3,272,385 Patented Sept. 13, 1966 herein are given solely by way of example and should not be taken as limiting the invention. Indeed, a major advantage of the invention is that it affords a dispensing arrangement usable with relatively deep boxes which heretofore have provided difficulties in pop-up dispensing of tissues. The principal present use of the invention is in connection with interfolded facial tissues and hence the invention will be described in connection with such tissues. However, the principles of the invention are applicable to other interfolded products, e.g., paper napkins.

The box 10 may be filled with a stack of interfolded paper tissues, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. An endless line of severance, e.g., perforations or cuts 17 is provided substantially at the center of top wall 11. The perforations 17 are preferably disposed in an elliptical form, e.g., with a major axis of 2 /2" and a minor axis of 1%", the axes being parallel to the front and side walls, respectively. The perforations 17 are provided to permit easy tearing out of an oval fiap 18 to leave an oval opening 19, as best shown in FIG. 2.

When the flap 18 is removed, the user may reach through the opening 19 to seize the free end of the uppermost tissue 20 and withdraw the tissue from the box through opening 19. Since opening 19 affords a restricted area or constricting neck, the tissue will be gathered together as it passes through the opening 19 and the resulting frictional engagement of the leading tissue with the next tissue, which is interfolded therewith, will cause the next tissue to follow the leading tissue to a position partially withdrawn from the box. In other words, as the leading tissue is pulled clear, the following tissue will pop-up ready in turn to be withdrawn. As each tissue is withdrawn, the following tissue similarly will pop-up ready to be withdrawn.

As the level of the tissues remaining in the box falls, the extent of frictional engagement between the leading tissue being withdrawn and the succeeding tissue which is to pop-up decreases, resulting in difiiculty in obtaining proper pop-up of succeeding tissues. As a result, when a tissue is withdrawn, the succeeding tissue may fall back without being caught and held in the pop-up position by the walls of opening 19. This difliculty typically may be experienced when the usual box is about half full. In order to overcome this difiiculty and to permit pop-up dispensing of those tissues near the bottom of the stack in box 10, there is provided a valve flap 21.

The valve flap 21 is defined by an axially extending score line or crease 22 in front wall 14 and a continuous line of severance, e.g., perforations or cuts 23 extending upwardly along front wall 14 from opposite ends of score line 22, as shown at 24 and 2 5, and then along inclined paths in top wall 11, as shown at 26 and 27, to a semioval rear extension 28 behind flap 18. Typically the score line 22 might be about 2. /3" long and might be located about 1%" below score line 29 which forms the top front edge of box 10. Typically, the maximum dimension of valve flap 21 in a direction parallel to the front of the 'box might be about 3 /2 inches, while the spacing between oval perforation line 28 and the adjacent portion of perforation line 17 might be about /2 inch.

Valve flap 21 is put into service by breaking the line of perforations 23 from one end of score line 22 to the other and then pushing the valve flap 21 into the box. The score line 22 serves as a hinge. The inner end of the valve flap, bounded by sections 26, 27 and 28 also folds along that portion of score line 29 which is included in the valve flap, as shown in FIG. 8.

The valve flap 21 is pushed down on top of the remaining stack of tissues in box 10 with the rear portion of valve flap 21, which contains opening 19, overlying and contacting the uppermost tissue, as is shown in solid lines in FIG. 8. The free end of the uppermost tissue extends through or is pulled through opening 19, as previously described. When the free end of the uppermost tissue is pulled up for dispensing, the valve flap is also pulled up, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 8, until the rear edge of the valve flap contacts the undersurface of the top wall 11 of box in the region to the rear of an Opening 30 formed as the perforation line 23 is severed. Pulling up of the valve flap 21 involves pivoting about score line 22 as a hinge and also folding along score line 29.

When the tissue being withdrawn is free of opening 19, the valve flap 21 falls back to the solid line position shown in FIG. 8. However, the frictional engagement with the succeeding tissue occurring as the preceding tissue was being pulled up and as the valve flap was being pivoted upwardly caused the next succeeding tissue to be pulled to pop-up position extending partially through opening 19, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8. Thus when the valve flap 21 falls back onto the top of the stack the next succeeding tissue is trapped in partially dispensed or popup condition.

Should it be desired to dispense a group of tissues as a unit, the valve flap 21 may be pivoted about score line 22 to a position outside the box, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 9. The user may then reach through opening 30, as shown in FIG. 9, and grasp and remove any desired number of tissues. The valve flap is then returned to its inside position overlying the stack of tissues, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, and the free end of the uppermost tissue may be seized and pulled up through opening 19, as previously described, to permit resumption of one by one dispensing of tissues with subsequent tissues popping-up automatically as the preceding tissue is withdrawn.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof and in a specific use, various modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser box for stacked interfolded sheets of paper and the like, comprising a rectangular box having top, bottom, end, front and rear walls, an endless line of severance in said top wall defining a manually removable flap, the opening left in said top wall upon removal of said flap being a constricting passage for removal of successive sheets one by one and pop-up of succeeding sheets, a score line in said front wall spaced from the line of juncture between said front and top walls, and a second line of severance extending upwardly from opposite ends of said score line in said front wall and through a path in said top wall encompassing and spaced from said endless line of severance, said second line of severance defining a manually freeable valve flap hingedly connected to said front wall by said score line and being adapted, when freed, to overlie the uppermost sheet of the stack of sheets in said box whereby said opening follows the level of sheets in said box as said sheets are dispensed.

2. A dispenser box for interfolded facial tissues and the like, comprising a rectangular box having top, bottom, end, front and rear walls, an endless line of severance in said top wall defining a manually removable flap, the opening left in said top wall upon removal of said flap being a constricting passage for removal of successive tissues one by one and pop-up of succeeding tissues, a score line in said front wall spaced from and parallel to the line of juncture between said front and top walls, and a second line of severance extending upwardly from opposite ends of said score line in said front wall and through a path in said top wall encompassing and spaced from said endless line of severance, said second line of severance defining a manually freeable valve flap hingedly connected to said front wall by said score line and being adapted, when freed, t-o overlie the uppermost tissue of the stack of tissues in said box whereby said opening follows the level of tissues in said box as said tissues are dispensed, said valve flap, when freed, being adapted to pivot upwardly about said score line as a tissue is withdrawn from said opening.

3. A dispenser box for interfolded facial tissues and the like, comprising a rectangular box having top, bottom, end, front and rear walls, an endless line of severance in said top Wall defining a manually removable oval flap, the opening left in said top wall upon removal of said flap being a constricting passage for removal of successive tissues one by one and pop-up of succeeding tissues, a score line in said front wall spaced from and parallel to the line of juncture between said front and top walls, and a second line of severance extending upwardly from opposite ends of said score line in said front wall and through a partially arcuate path in said top wall encompassing and spaced from said endless line of severance, said second line of severance defining a manually freeable valve flap hingedly connected to said front wall by said score line and being adapted, when freed, to overlie the uppermost tissue of the stack of tissues in said box whereby said opening follows the level of tissues in said box as said tissues are dispensed, said valve flap, when freed, being adapted to pivot upwardly about said score line as a tissue is withdrawn from said opening, upward pivoting of said valve being limited by contact with the under-surface of said top wall, said valve flap, when freed, being manually pivotable to a position outside of said box to permit withdrawal of a group of tissues as a unit.

4. A dispenser box for interfolded facial tissues and the like, comprising a rectangular box having top, bottom, end, front and rear walls, an endless line of severance in said top wall defining a manually removable flap, the opening left in said top wall upon removal of said flap being a constricting passage for removal of successive tissues one by one and pop-up of succeeding tissues, means defining a hinge line in said front wall spaced from the line of juncture between said front and top walls, and a second line of severance extending upwardly from opposite ends of said hinge line in said front wall and through a path in said top wall encompassing and spaced from said endless line of severance, said second line of severance defining a manually freeable valve flap hingedly connected to said front wall at said hinge line and being adapted, when freed, to overlie the uppermost tissues of the stack of tissues in said box whereby said opening follows the level of tissues in said box as said tissues are dispensed, said valve flap, when freed, being adapted to pivot upwardly about said hinge line as a tissue is withdrawn from said opening, upward pivoting of said valve fiap being limited by contact with the under-surface of said top wall, said valve flap, when freed, being manually pivotable about said hinge line to a position outside of said box to permit withdrawal of a group of tissues as a unit.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,464,180 8/1923 Hudson 22l--48 1,603,714 10/1926 Rappleye 221-48 2,651,409 9/1953 Fay 22l-63 2,802,567 8/1957 Covel 221-48 3,024,958 3/1962 Loderhouse 22163 2,207,360 9/1965 Scott 221-48 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

' W. SOBIN, Assistant Examiner.

Dedication 3,272,385.0ec2'l H. Wat/sins, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. DISPENSER BOX. Patent dated Stpr. 13, 1366. DedicuLion filed Dec. 17, 1974-, by the assignee, [meman'mml Paper Company. Hereby dedicates t0 the Public the entire l'ennlining form of said patent.

[Ofiicz'al Gazette April 22, 1.975.] 

1. A DISPENSER BOX FOR STACKED INTERFOLDED SHEETS OF PAPER AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR BOX HAVING TOP, BOTTOM, END, FRONT AND REAR WALLS, AN ENDLESS LINE OF SEVERANCE IN SAID TOP WALL DEFINING A MANUALLY REMOVABLE FLAP, THE OPENING LEFT IN SAID TOP WALL REMOVAL OF SAID FLAP BEING A CONSTRICTING PASSAGE FOR REMOVAL OF SUCCESSIVE SHEETS ONE BY ONE AND POP-UP OF SUCCEEDING SHEETS, A SCORE LINE IN SAID FRONT WALL SPACED FROM THE LINE OF JUNCTURE BETWEEN SAID FRONT AND TOP WALLS, AND A SECOND LINE OF SEVERANCE EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID SCORE LINE IN SAID FRONT WALL AND THROUGH A PATH IN SAID TOP WALL ENCOMPASSING AND SPACED FROM SAID LINE OF SEVERANCE, SAID SECOND LINE OF SEVERANCE DEFINING A MANUALLY FREEABLE VALVE FLAP HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID FRONT WALL BY SAID SCORE LINE AND BEING ADAPTED, WHEN FREED, TO OVERLIE THE UPPERMOST SHEET OF THE STACK SHEETS IN SAID BOX WHEREBY SAID OPENING FOLLOWS THE LEVEL OF SHEETS IN SAID BOX AS SAID SHEETS ARE DISPENSED. 